No. 4 ] AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 189 



was greatly needed, for there was not room enough in the 

 old building to accommodate the students in this department. 

 With this appropriation the laboratory has been extended 

 eighteen feet, a new ventilating apparatus has been put in, 

 and the laboratory has been remodelled throughout, which is 

 a great improvement. The laboratory is now capable of ac- 

 commodating thirty-four students. 



The course of study in botany remains the same as in 

 recent years. One feature may be mentioned in connection 

 with the sophomore worls, — more attention has been given 

 to the study of grasses, trees and shrubs. For this purpose 

 representatives of most of our grasses, trees and shrubs are 

 accessible to the students. 



Station Work. — Some of the same problems which have 

 occupied the attention of this department during the last two 

 years are still being investigated, such as the drop on lettuce, 

 top burn, and nematode worms in tomatoes, cucumbers and 

 violets. The commercial growers are looking to the State 

 Experiment Station for remedies for these troubles. The 

 great importance of these investigations may be seen when 

 we learn that the estimated value of the cucumber crop alone 

 grown under glass is one million dollars, and the percentage 

 of loss caused by insect and fungous diseases is from twenty- 

 five to thirty per cent, which amounts to from two hundred 

 and fifty to three hundred thousand dollars a year to the 

 growers. Experiments are continuing with the tomatoes, 

 for the purpose of finding out which is the best way to hasten 

 the maturity of the fruit, and with difierent quality of glass 

 for certain crops in the greenhouse. Experiments are also 

 being made on the mechanical condition of the soil for let- 

 tuce. Extensive improvements have been made in the green- 

 houses for growing plants for the experiment work of this 

 department. There are now three separate houses, so that 

 each can be heated so as to suit the class of plants to be 

 grown. The conditions in these houses are now as complete 

 as it is possible to make them, and experiments can be carried 

 on on a larofe enough scale to draw conclusions from. 



